Baking Marathon

I had a baking marathon last night. I made 3 dozen lemon meringue tarts for a friend, and thought while I was at it, wouldn't it be fun to also make mini chocolate cream pies??


I went back to Barefoot Contessa's pie dough recipe (it really is the best) and cut the crusts out with fluted round cutters, and placed the cut dough into a muffin tin. Pre-baked in a 400 degree oven for about 11 minutes.

Once cooled I filled the mini crusts with lemon curd. I used the lemon curd and meringue recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Baked. Who knew egg whites could taste so good ;)

This is my third attempt at these Cinnamon rolls. They are always delicious, my son thinks they should be kept in the house at all times. They just don't photograph that well. I did double the recipe for the frosting to be add extra when served.


Mini Chocolate Pudding Pie

For the Filling:

2 1/2 cups whole milk

5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

4 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a saucepan, over low heat, warm the milk and chocolate, whisking until the chocolate is melted. In a medium sized bowl whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Add the cornstarch, salt and vanilla, whisk until well blended. Slowly add the warm chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture to temper the eggs, whisking constantly until well blended. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickens and begins to bubble, about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap pressing directly onto pudding. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Crust: adapted from Ina Garten

12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening

6 to 8 Tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. roll each piece on a well-floured board, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Cut dough with fluted rounds in desired size. Press into muffin tins and return to refrigerator for 15 minutes. When dough is chilled, carefully poke bottom and sides of dough with the tines of a fork to prevent dough from puffing when baking. Bake approximately 11 minutes, or until lightly golden in a 400 degree oven. When cool enough to handle remove from muffin tins and let cool on a wire rack.

To assemble mini pies:

Spoon desired amount of cold chocolate pudding into mini pie shells.

Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate curls if desired.


Cinnamon Rolls

For the Dough:

2 packages active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided

1 cup warm milk

2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

7 to8 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling:

1 cup unsalted melted unsalted butter, divided (2 sticks)

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided

3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the dough: In a small bowl, mix together warm water, yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside. In a large bowl mix the milk, remaining 2/3 cup sugar, melted butter, salt and eggs; stir well and add yeast mixture. Add half of the flour and beat until smooth Stir in enough of the remaining flour until the dough is slightly stiff (will be sticky). Turn out onto a well floured board. Knead 5 to 10 minutes. Place in a well buttered glass or plastic bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk., about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When doubled punch down dough and let rest 5 minutes. Roll out on floured surface into a 15x20 inch rectangle.

For the filling: Spread dough with 1/2 cup of melted butter. In a bowl mix 1 1/2 cups sugar and the cinnamon until well blended. Sprinkle over buttered dough. Roll up jelly roll fashion. Pinch edges together to seal. Cut 12 to 15 slices. Coat the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan and an 8 inch square baking pan with the remaining 1/2 cup of melted butter. Sprinkle the bottom of the pans with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Place cinnamon rolls slices close together in pans. Let rise in a warm place until dough is doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 minutes or until rolls are nicely browned. Cool slightly and frost with Cream Cheese Cinnamon Frosting:

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Frosting

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp.

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a small bowl mix cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until smooth. Spread on warm rolls and serve. (I doubled this recipe)

Fettuccini Alfredo

I sometimes forget how easy it really is to make your own pasta. Especially with the help of the pasta roller on my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. And the taste is just incomparable. Last night's dinner was Fettuccine Alfredo and Focaccia Bread... and I just want to say this bread is very addicting!

Fresh Pasta

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1/3 cup water

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Place flour, salt, eggs, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for a few seconds until blended. Add water through feed tube two Tablespoons at a time. When dough starts to form a ball stop adding water. Process an additional 30 seconds. Remove from bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Remove a tennis ball size piece of dough. (keep remaining dough covered to keep from drying out) Dust with flour, and flatten in a disc shape with your hands. Pass through pasta machine set at widest setting. Fold dough in half, dust with more flour if needed and pass through machine again. Repeat this process approx. 20 times dusting with more flour as needed. Then without folding dough pass through machine increasing the setting each time until desired thickness is required. Place dough on lightly floured surface until ready to pass through pasta cutter. Cut in desired shape. When ready to use boil for only a few minutes in a large pot of salted water. Watch carefully, fresh pasta cooks extremely fast. Drain and add sauce and toss. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese.

Fettuccine Alfredo

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium size saucepan heat cream and lemon juice over medium heat. Add butter and lemon zest, stirring occasionally until butter is melted. Reduce heat to low and add Parmesan cheese , whisk until incorporated. Remove from heat and add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pour over pasta and toss. Grate additional Parmesan cheese over top if desired. Serve.

And the recipe for the Focaccia bread can be found in one of my new favorite cookbooks, Cooking Dinner http://www.atavolatogether.com/index.php Check out their website and blog for fabulous recipes.

Is This Room Missing Color?

No, it's not a black and white picture haha. Looking at this on the screen I realized there is no color in this room. That's ok, I kind of like it that way. I went from all of the bold, vibrant colors in French Country to this... Guess I needed a color break. I'm afraid the whole house is pretty much the same, more earthy colors...browns, whites, black, with a little green.

It feels a little less committal, more of a blank canvas.

Office Space

I haven't blogged about decorating in a long time...and I've been in this house for a little over 6 mos. now. Guess it's time to get my act in gear??? This is one of the areas that attracted me to this rental. The little desk/office space at the top of the stairs. Since I don't have a room available that can be dedicated to an office, this is the next best thing.

The Pioneer Woman's Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

Today must have been Birthday day :) It was my mom's birthday, and also my good friend Charlotte's Dad's birthday. I made my mom a lemon meringue pie... still trying to perfect my pie crust. I was having pretty good luck with Barefoot Contessa's pie crust, but the last couple of times not so much. I'm positive it's me, not the recipe... so my search/ technique continues. Anyway I have been wanting to make The Pioneer Woman's Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. for sometime, and when Charlotte asked me to make a chocolate cake for her Dad I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. I have used the cake portion of this recipe for cupcakes before, and they were delicious, but had not tried the frosting portion of the recipe yet. Lets just say you have to make this cake... even if it's just to justify the frosting haha! And an added bonus, it has to be one of the easiest cakes I have ever made. Good thing because it looks like I'm making another one this weekend ;) The only alteration I made to the cake was adding instant espresso coffee powder to the frosting mixture, yum!

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

The Pioneer Woman

For the Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons (heaping) cocoa

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 whole beaten eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter

4 Tablespoons (heaping) cocoa

6 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 lb (minus 1/2 cup) powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder (optional)

In mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt. Set aside.

In a saucepan melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture and stir lightly to cool. In measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda , and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into ungreased sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

while the cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, powdered sugar and espresso powder if using. Add the pecans, stir together, and poor over warm cake.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Today my daughter Melissa and I were watching All Star Chocolate on The Food Network. All of the recipes looked delicious... and I will definitely make several of them. But Tyler Florence's Flourless Chocolate Cake had to be the first one to try.

The baking time in the directions is definitely off, I think this cake takes a good 30 min, but check it with a tester. Ours came out a little gooey, but for my family, that's a good thing.

Valentine's Day Baking

The perfect Valentines Day cupcake... Red Velvet with Cream cheese Frosting. I used the Magnolia Bakery recipe, with a simple Cream Cheese frosting. They were delicious, and I loved the way they baked up. And the recipe ended up making about 3 dozen.

I also made Barefoot Contessa's famous Coconut Cupcakes. These turn out perfect every time. Earlier in the week I was able to stop at Corti Brothers, an italian gourmet grocery store in Sacramento. I love browsing the aisles, I can always find something different that I want to try. This time I found V. Alisios sweetened large shred coconut. What a difference it makes...definitely worth the splurge.

I have also been trying to perfect these mini lemon meringue tarts. I have been trying to come up with a good crust. So far I've used Fillo, and this shortbread based crust which really didn't turn out well. It was delicious, but broke apart easily... I will come up with something. The curd and meringue came from Baked. So simple, and melts in your mouth.